Stew

There's not too many things I look forward to more than a sloppy bowl of stew on a cold winter day. The beef is fragrant and soft and wonderful on it's own but even better when paired with other comfort food like mashed potatoes or yams to absorb all those delicious juices. Every family has their own way of preparing the famous dish and I 'm no exception. After many years of trial and error, the family's voice had spoken and it said it preffered Nona's beef stew. I used to dredge the meat in seasoned flour, brown it and stew it in the oven or on top of the stove with stock, onions, carrots, potatoes and peas.It seems that method did not compare to Nona's. Now, I simply brown the beef pieces in hot oil, add onions and carrots, beef stock and a couple tablespoons of tomato paste. Of course we can not forget the rosemary. It would not be Nona's beef stew without the rosemary. The whole mixture stews on top of the stove for just under an hour and voila, you have a soul restoring, toe thawing, lip smacking meal. I guess dishes such as Nona's stew make cold and dreary winter days worth enduring. 
Here's a clip of Julia Child preparing her version of Beef Bourguignon. You may have seen it before or heard of it referred to in the recent movie Julie and Julia. Give it and Nona's recipe a  try and see what you think. I bet you never open another can of it again.